21 Grams

21 Grams is the second movie in a trilogy (only in theme) by Alejandro González Iñárritu. The first was Amores Perros and the last is Babel. All of these films are non-linear and tell of interconnected people who experience tragedy. The first character is Jack (Benicio del Toro). He's a drug addict and kills the husband and children of the second character Christina (Naomi Watts). The third character is Paul (Sean Penn) and he receives the heart of Christina's husband. From there, the characters converge, Paul and Christina might be in love and Jack might be totally fucked for the rest of his life. It is the way Iñárritu tells this story that makes it so good. At first we don't know everything, we're not sure why characters are doing what they're doing until we see a flashback, and then we don't know the middle, and then we do and it makes the end not make any sense. This is a complex and demanding movie. The acting is top notch, the visuals are sad and dreary. It has to do with the soul, and how much it can endure, how much guilt it can take, how long it can linger, how much pain it can take. 21 Grams solidifies not only Iñárritu's power as a director but also Naomi Watts' star power--she totally evokes the desperation and sadness of her character. This a pretty great movie.
21 Grams: ★★★★